BLOOMFIELD, Conn. -- A 15-year-old girl missing for nearly a year was found alive Wednesday, locked in a small, hidden room behind a trap door located under the staircase of a West Hartford home, police said.

Bloomfield police said they were executing search warrants to collect a swab of a man's DNA and seek other evidence at 258 Newington Road with the assistance of West Hartford police at about 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday. They instead found the girl, identified as Danielle Erica Cramer, 15, of Bloomfield, who disappeared on June 14, 2006.

Police arrested two women, Ann Murphy and Kimberly Cray, and a man, Adam Gault, who live in the house. For more about the suspects and what police found in the house, click here.

Channel 3 Eyewitness News reporter Len Besthoff reported police were not expecting to find the girl. One investigator told Eyewitness News they weren't sure they would find her alive and that they were amazed when they did find her.

West Harford police Capt. Lori Coppinger said the door to the room was hidden behind a dresser and is the size of a cubby hole. Coppinger said the girl was sitting in the room when officers discovered her.

An officer found Danielle when he slid the dresser back to reveal a locked door. The officer said, "Lieutenant, you better get in here," Coppinger said.

"She could've been the victim of a homicide, we never gave up hope nor did we ever investigate in a fashion that would have presumed that, ... but when we went to do today's search warrants, it unfortunately was under the belief that she was the victim of a homicide," said Bloomfield police Capt. Jeffrey Blatter, in charge of operations.

"This poor child has been through a lot." - Capt. Jeffrey Blatter Bloomfield Police Department

Blatter said he could not comment on the girl's state of mind and physical condition when she was found. She was being examined by medical personnel.

Coppinger said the girl was very quiet when police discovered her. Police said they also discovered a 13-year-old boy living in the house, who they later identified as a son of one of the two women arrested.

Police said they do not know whether Danielle was held against her will and said she could have gone willingly to stay with Gault.

"We do not believe she was in that room for the total year. We're looking into details right now to find out what extent she was held," Blatter said.

Police Comb Through House

Bloomfield police went to the home with West Hartford police to serve search warrants for DNA and other evidence. Besthoff reported police later obtained another search warrant for the house and investigators have collected several boxes of evidence, bedding and a loaded handgun.

Police said they had been to the home before to question Gault but never got passed the front door (More).

Channel 3 Eyewitness News reporter Diana Rocco reported it took a while for the door to be answered when police knocked on Wednesday morning.

The Search For Danielle

Channel 3 Eyewitness News reporter Jamie Roth reported Cramer's case had grown stale. Police said they tried to trace phone records and talked to friends in the case.

"Monthly, there would be re-discussion on it, so it was only closed for short periods of time; a better term would be suspended, pending additional information," Blatter said.

Police described Danielle as a habitual runaway who had disappeared for days four or five times before. When she returned, police said, Danielle would not tell police where she went.

Police said Danielle's parents are victims in this case, saying they have been very cooperative in the case. Danielle lived with her mother, stepfather and a brother and police said drugs were involved around family members, but not her parents.

"Unfortunately, this juvenile was in a lifestyle that was not the greatest," Blatter said. "This was a child from troubled circumstances and she found what she believed to be a friend and from there, we're still questioning to find out exactly point she went missing."

Roth reported that police said allegations were made that Danielle was victimized by others who exerted tremendous influence on her.

"There were other people who could want to see harm to this child. ... This poor child has been through a lot," Blatter said.

Neighbors told Eyewitness News they had never seen the girl living at the house.

"I could cry I could cry for her family and I could cry for her because you're only a child once in your life," said Linda Abel, a neighbor.

"It's scary. It's really scary, you don't think it would happen in your neighborhood," said Louise White, a neighbor.

"All circumstances considered, I'm pretty happy with the physical condition that she's in. I'm just happy we've found her," Bloomfield police Lt. Matt Willauer said at the scene. "We have a lot more investigating to do."

State Department of Children and Families spokesman Gary Kleeblatt said the agency has joined the investigation.

Click here to e-mail news tips to Eyewitness News, or dial: 860-244-1700. Refresh WFSB.com often and watch Channel 3 Eyewitness News for the latest news updates.